Tropical Cyclone Jude made landfall in Mozambique on 10 March 2025, bringing maximum winds of 140 km/h and threatening 780,000 people with high winds and flooding. Early interventions were mobilized, but humanitarian resources are overstretched due to prior cyclones and ongoing crises. The cyclone is anticipated to cause severe weather conditions in several provinces, with reported cholera cases complicating the situation.
On 10 March 2025, Tropical Cyclone Jude made landfall in Mozambique’s Mossuril district, Nampula province, recording maximum sustained winds of 140 km/h and gusts up to 195 km/h. The cyclone endangers approximately 780,000 individuals in Nampula and Zambezia provinces due to expected high winds and torrential rains, as stated by the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management (INGD). Additionally, the Hydrological Department has issued alerts for potential flooding along major rivers in the region.
In response to the cyclone, early intervention measures have been activated through the Mozambique Anticipatory Action (AA) Framework for Cyclones. Financial resources from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) have been rapidly allocated to humanitarian partners to facilitate response efforts prior to the cyclone’s landfall. However, with simultaneous responses to prior cyclones and additional crises such as cholera outbreaks and food insecurity, humanitarian capabilities are severely strained. Funding for the Tropical Cyclones Flash Appeal is currently at a mere 0.2 percent.
The Mozambique National Institute of Meteorology (INAM) indicates that Cyclone Jude will remain over Nampula province until 10 March evening, bringing heavy rainfall of over 250 mm within 24 hours and severe thunderstorms that may cause flooding in Nampula, Zambezia, Cabo Delgado, and Sofala provinces. Recent reports reveal localized flooding in Nacala and Ilha de Moçambique districts, as well as infrastructural damage to housing, roads, and utilities due to the cyclone’s impact.
Initial assessments by aid partners identify at least 780,468 individuals at significant risk as the cyclone progresses, comprising 508,167 residents in Nampula and 272,302 in Zambezia. The cholera outbreak, complicating the situation, has resulted in 36 cases in Nampula and 8 in Zambezia in the last 24 hours. Previous cyclonic events hindered health and water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities, creating challenges for treatment efforts amid rising misinformation and community violence against medical personnel. The cyclone’s effects may exacerbate cholera transmission, potentially affecting new populations during evacuation and relocation efforts.
Cyclone Jude is the third cyclone to impact Mozambique in three months, following Cyclones Chido in December 2024 and Dikeledi in January 2025. The cumulative impact of these events has affected approximately 684,000 individuals in northern provinces. Many residents in Nampula are still recovering from previous disasters, with only 14 percent of targeted individuals receiving essential life-saving assistance across four districts.
In summary, Tropical Cyclone Jude poses a severe risk to vulnerable populations in Mozambique, particularly in the provinces of Nampula and Zambezia. The cyclonic event has already inflicted significant infrastructural damage and exacerbated existing health crises such as cholera. Despite preemptive measures and financial releases for humanitarian efforts, the cumulative effects of recent natural disasters hinder the overall response capacity.
Original Source: www.unocha.org
